Rating: 
Summary: Before Richard Kimball, There was Noah Cullen & John Jackson
Review: *
''The Defiant Ones'' is one of those rare films which after having been seen only once had the ability to stick with me for an entire lifetime! (Other such gems having had a similar effect on me include Chaplin's first 'talkie,' ''The Great Dictator,'' the original ''Night of the Living Dead,'' the cheesy and awful but fun sci-fi cult flick ''Laserblast,'' and Orson Welles' ''Citizen Kane.'') I've just had the opportunity to purchase the DVD and view this film for only the second time, and it was every bit as good and intense as I remember from that first time! ''The Defiant Ones'' teams up the legendary Tony Curtis and the equally legendary and talented Sidney Poitier as convicted felons John ''Joker'' Jackson and Noah Cullen who, as a result of a racially sparked physical scuffle between the two of them, partly contribute to the road accident their transport vehicle becomes involved in. The resulting crash gives these two chained together prisoners an opportunity to escape on foot. But this is pre-1960s southern USA, so when the arriving law officers responsible for tracking the prisoners down learn that the two chained together escaped cons are of different racial backgrounds they become somewhat lax in their pursuit, erroneously assuming that the two escapees would likely kill each other out of racial hatred before they'd even get five miles. Forced to cooperate despite the racial tensions between them, Joker and Noah do not take their predicament lightly and are constantly on the move to stay as far ahead of their pursuers as possible. In the days that follow both men form something of an uneasy camaraderie, and the conversations they strike up between themselves actually seem to help smooth over some of those racial tensions they exhibit toward each other, to where each man gains a certain amount of respect for the other. Joker is also made to confront some unpleasant realities, such as being forced to admit in his heart that Noah is the more rational of the two and, especially, having to come to terms with the fact that his white skin is no safety net when he is an escaped criminal on the run. There is also a 'human interest' story in the subplot of the film, some of it just somewhat ahead of its time: The County Sheriff becomes the catalyst which keeps the chase from becoming a reckless and disorderly ''Good Ol' Boy'' guns, dawgs & testosterone party, and one of the townspeople, portrayed by the legendary Lon Chaney Jr., keeps a town's citizenry from becoming an emotionally irrational lynch mob. The cinematography is excellent for a movie of its time, although some of the sets could have been better constructed and arranged (for example, there's one set where the city lights of Los Angeles shine in the background beyond the studio lot). It is also nice to hear actors talking with southern accents that don't sound like ''Foghorn Leghorn'' rejects. To even consider ''remaking'' this classic film would not only be a terrible mistake, but it would also be a virtual impossibility ... so hopefully no one in Hollyweird, or anywhere else for that matter, would ever think of doing such a thing, and thus let this great piece of movie making history stand on its own and to continue to stand the test of time. * * *
Rating:
Summary: Sidney Poitier -- NEED I SAY MORE -- From Las Vegas, NV
Review: All I need to see is that Sidney Poitier is in a movie and it WILL BE A GOOD MOVIE. I thought that this movie with him and Tony Curtis was GREAT! I own almost every movie that is available that has Sidney Poitier in it. I was hooked on his movies and intrigued by Mr. Poitier when I saw "To Sir, With Love" for the first time. I have yet to see Sidney Poitier do a bad movie. This movie was done as a lot of his movies during the times when there was a lot of racial tension. I think that Sidney Poitier picked his movies carefully and all of them have had a very good point to make and in making the point on each of his movies they have all been good story lines. I really think that Sidney Poitier should have won a lot more academy awards than just the one for "Lilies of the Field"! I realize that this is more a commentary than a review, just wanted to put my thoughts down.
Rating: 
Summary: About the love of two men
Review: Both men love each other. One of them gives up freedom and the love of a woman to be with his man.
The last scene is the beautiful picture of both men holding each other tightly, their faces touching, and their eyes looking at the next 20 years when they will be always together, happy ever after.
Rating:
Summary: very powerful
Review: i enjoyed this movie alot.it had so much going on all at once.sidney to me was always ahead of the curve.tony curtis does a great job as well.i highly recommend this film.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, loved this movie!
Review: I loved every minute of it. It's one of Poitier's finest performances, and his chemistry with Curtis is cinematic heaven. They just don't make characters like these anymore. The screenplay is pretty flawless as well.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, loved this movie!
Review: I loved every minute of it. It's one of Poitier's finest performances, and his chemistry with Curtis is cinematic heaven. They just don't make characters like these anymore. The screenplay is pretty flawless as well.
Rating:
Summary: Poitier/Curtis Jail-Break Classic
Review: Sidney Poitier continues to break race barriers with this formula jail-break drama. Teamed with Tony Curtis, the escaped prisoners encounter many situations, where their difference in color seems to matter more than the fact that both are fugitives from the law. Throughout the film, the viewer empathizes with the escapees, figuring that they always got a bum deal in life. A scene towards the end, where a single mother sees a chance to "hook up" with Curtis, shows how Curtis, although often disagreeing, even physically fighting with Poitier, still sees Poitier as an equal in their quest for freedom. Rather than "sell out" his friend, he would rather die trying to save him. The inevidable ending (remember that one of the rules in Old Hollywood was that the bad guys can never win)is quite moving. Definitely among the established Hollywood Classics. Although many of the "old ways" have changed drastically since the late 50s, this film offers insight into a piece of Americana many people living today can still recall. An important piece of Film Hostory, and highly recommended!*****
Rating:
Summary: An American Classic
Review: The basic story of the film is that 2 convicts, Poitier and Curtis, escape after a train wreck. They both hate eachother but since the two are handcuffed together, they must put their differences aside to survive. Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis are great in this film. Since most of the movie takes place outdoors, the two are always dirty and in grueling pain. Although some of the supporting characters are not as talented (often humorous due to their lack of acting skills), the film is well rounded and well told. The two learn to respect eachother and work ogether where they form a inevetable friendship. I found myself really rooting for the charters in the climax and up to it. This racially charged masterpiece by Stanley Kramer should be given a chance, and maybe even a spot on your DVD rack.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent and still keeps freshness!
Review: This film was a challenging issue in its age . Nevertheless the racial prejuices and the involved circunstances around the ethical crossroads that surrounds the film are still present , fifty years ago.
Imagine what it means to get the freedom linked with a man you hate due his color . Curtis and Pottier make a glorious tour de force . Both of two are credible in this drama who join these two man initially divided for different conflicts but , (once more the mythical journey) convinces to each other one of them that they must to act as just one man if they want to survive , because they have a common enemy .
You know that Stanley Kramer was always a director that loved to make incisive and bitter films .
In this case he made a masterpiece around a simple story that it could happen again in any other region of the globe .
The remarkable point is this moral question somehow permeated the filmography of famous directors in the future , as Norman Jewison (In the heat of the night) , Mississippi burning (Alan Parker) or The green mile (Durabont) , to name three films of different decades .
Rating:
Summary: A great drama in black and white
Review: This tough, gritty film may be tame by today's standards but was a bold cinematic statement when it was released in 1958. Two escaped convicts, one white and the other black, are chained to each other and in their break for freedom are forced to confront the harsh realities of racism at close quarters. Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier provide expert characterizations of the two desperate men who are also chained by their fears and prejudices about each other's race, with each step in their journey to freedom brimming with venom and animosity. Ironically, it is a white woman who seals the bond of friendship between John Jackson and Noah Cullen by deliberately directing Cullen's escape route through a quicksand-filled swamp so she can run off with Jackson, with whom she's become smitten. Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw and Lon Chaney Jr. are good in supporting roles and a real find is Cara Williams as the shapely, love-starved country woman so desperate to have a man in her life. Other than Poitier's sporadic warbling of "Long Gone", the only music of note in the movie is provided by Alfalfa's transistor radio that greatly annoys Capt. Gibbons.
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